Thank you for the question.
The way the account works, it basically has to cover off the administration of the account as well as the actual benefits that flow out of the account. The recognition on the EI account is that you don't look at it year by year. It's an economic cycle. You'll get debate among economists over how long an economic cycle is. Some would say seven years, and some would say shorter or longer, but the intent is that the premiums over time should basically equate to the expenses that come out of that account.
The account is there. It's to be tracked. In theory, if it starts generating surpluses year after year, that would cause someone to look at the premium rate setting and ask if the premiums are too high or if they should be reduced. Conversely, if you're running a deficit year after year, that would cause the question of whether the premiums should be increased. The purpose of that account is to track that spending and the related revenues, but I would say that you shouldn't look at it on a year-by-year basis. You do have to look at it over time.